11x01 - Cake Week

[bunniefuu]

[announcer] First an important message.

You know, I’ve talked about this...

You know, I don’t know...
The printer is upside down again and I...

Oh, no! Well, how... Maybe I...
Ah, yes, well, that works.

Actually I can... I can read that...
Read that fine.

Erm, right. Let’s, er... Yeah.

Good evening.
Erm, let’s get straight to it.

We are now approaching phase 46.

Erm, which means that, er,
from Tuesday morning

or... Or... Or Wednesday evening,
depending on your height,

erm, we are... We are...
We are saying with regards to baking,

erm, if... If you must bake
in a tent, bake in a tent.

But please don’t bake in a tent.

And... And... And we are asking people
to use common sense

with regards to the distribution
of hundreds and thousands.

Erm, now I believe...
I believe we have a...

A question from the lady
in the funky dress. Er, Noelle, yes.

- Hello, Prime Minister.
- Yes.

Er, just one quick question.
Is it scone or scone?

Right, well, I'm... I'm gonna hand over
to the experts on this.

- Erm, er, er, Prue Witty?
- Scone.

Right, erm,
Professor Paul Hollywood.

Scone.

Right, well, I hope
that clears things up for you.

Erm, all that remains is for me to say...

Welcome to The Great British Baking Show.

[Sura] My husband said to me,
"Why don't you apply?"

I was like, "I'm not gonna get in.
I'm not gonna get in".

I didn't give it a lot of thought,
I'll be honest with you. [chuckles]

I thought, "Oh, I'd love to go on there."

[Noel] This year's bakers will be part
of something very special.

[Rowan] Something about the year 2020
felt as if it was kind of momentous,

possibly not in the way
it's turned out to be,

so, erm, I gave it a go.

[Noel] Like everyone
up and down the country,

the Bake Off has had to make some changes.

It's unbelievable that I'm living
in a wee Bake Off village,

a wee Bake Off town.

[Matt] To save this year's competition,

the bakers have volunteered
to leave their loved ones

and live in our very own Bake Off bubble.

[Laura] Harder than I thought
leaving home,

so, the night before,
my husband cooked us fajitas,

or "fajeetas"
as he calls them, it just hit me,

"I could not see you for seven weeks",
and then I was crying into my dinner.

I come from a very loving family.
I miss them, but it has spurred me on.

[Matt] And despite everything that
this year has thrown at all of us...

Once we all walk into the tent,
I think it'll get back

to something very familiar.

[Matt] ...we've made it.

It really is exciting and familiar,
comforting, lovely.

Would you like to dance with me?

[Noel] Twelve new bakers...

[exclaims and laughs]

[Noel] ...thirty brand-new
spectacular challenges...

Oh, go on, say you like it.

- Actually, I love it, yeah.
- Yes!

[Noel] ...and in this unique year...

- Have you done this before, Rowan?
- Yes.

- And did it work?
- Yes.

[Noel laughs]

[Noel] ...we begin the competition
with a Cake Week...

It's given me quite a few
sleepless nights, this one.

[Noel] ...unlike anything
the Baking Show has ever seen.

I don't know if I've ever fancied
a cake before, but I slightly do now.

[Laura] Come on, Freddie,
please stay together.

Some of Freddie Mercury's head
is not there.

- [gasps]
- It's all gone wrong.

[whispers] Oh, don't cry. It's all right.

It's so stressful, Paul. Why on earth
did I get into this competition?

- You chose to come.
- [Marc] I know I did.

[Sura] Ugh! [gasps]

Solid start.

[opening theme music playing]

[Matt] We've taken
a little detour and pitched our tent

in the beautiful grounds of Down Hall.

And our fresh batch of bakers

are about to tackle
three cake-based challenges.

After which, we'll crown one of them
the first Star Baker of 2020

and ask another to leave the tent.

Hello, bakers, welcome to the tent.

And it's time
for your first ever signature challenge.

The judges would like you to make
that fan favourite, the Battenberg,

rectangular in shape
and wrapped in marzipan.

It can be any sponge you want,
any flavour, but when you cut inside it,

it needs to reveal a pattern or a design.

You have just two hours.

- You ready for those magic words?
- Yes. Yes, I am.

- [Noel] Okay, I'll set you up.
- Okay.

- [Noel] You say it.
- All right. Okay.

- On your mark...
- Bake!

[all laugh]

- A little early. Maybe leave a bigger...
- Bit early.

- [Noel] Little bit of a gap.
- Bigger gap, okay.

All right, yeah. Okay.

On your marks, get set...

- Bake!
- [chuckling]

- [Noel] Maybe split the difference.
- Split the difference.

I've been so excited.
I couldn't wait for it to begin.

Just raring to go.

♪ This is it ♪

[chuckling]

Very nice to get started. I'm just, erm...
Hopefully, I'm organised.

My stomach's going like a washing machine.

It's felt like I've sat around waiting
to get going all morning, erm, and...

Do not know what happened to that.
I broke something already. [chuckles]

Battenberg is a lovely signature
to kick off with.

Every marzipan lover's favourite cake.
Mine, too.

What I'm looking for is a beautiful,
smooth marzipan.

Inside, stark differences
in colour of sponge.

I would keep it basic if I was them,
but make sure I'm punching with flavours

and punching with colours.

It's a real treat.
It's very rich 'cause of the marzipan.

And it should be wonderful.
I'm looking forward to it.

[Paul] Good morning.

- Good morning.
- Hello, Loriea.

So, tell us about your Battenberg.

I'm making bubble gum
and cream soda flavoured-Battenberg.

- Bubble gum?
- Yeah.

How are you gonna flavour it bubble gum?

Erm, from a bottle. [laughs]

[Prue] What's the other flavour?

- It's a combination of cream soda syrup...
- Oh, my God!

[Loriea] ...and cream soda flavouring.

[Matt] Loriea works
as a radiographer for the NHS

and gets all her new recipes
tested by her neighbours in Durham.

- Should've asked if you wanted more...
- Thank you very much.

[Matt] Her bubble gum
and cream soda sponges

will be wrapped in a bright blue marzipan.

What I love about this is you've gone
for everything that is artificial.

Yes!

What I love about this
is absolutely everything.

[all laughing]

[Noel] Loriea's not the only baker
rediscovering her childhood.

- [Matt] Hello, Laura.
- Hello. How are you?

- I'm all right, thanks. How are you doing?
- I'm good.

- [Matt] What is it?
- A raspberry ripple Battenberg.

The flavours are raspberry ripple
and coconut.

Oh, lovely!
And are you a big Battenberg fan?

- Not really, mate.
- No.

No. I'm not a massive fan
of the marzipan. [chuckles]

Yeah. I don't think
this will go in the show.

- It's good to tell people who you are.
- It's good to laugh, right?

[Noel] Laura is a Samaritans volunteer
from Halling, Kent...

[Laura] Come on, Boris.

[Noel] ...and takes huge pride
in the garden she's created

with her husband, Matt.

She plans to pipe buttercream roses

on her coconut
and raspberry ripple Battenberg.

- [Laura] You gonna try some?
- [Matt] I will, but I won't judge it.

I have the eating age of a nine-year-old.

- What do you mean?
- I'll just eat anything.

I'll eat Super Noodles
and things like that.

Nothing wrong with good Super Noodles.

- They're good, aren't they?
- Yeah.

You know they're called
Batchelors Super Noodles?

- Yeah.
- 'Cause I'm h*m*,

I call them
Confirmed Batchelor Super Noodles.

- You're h*m*? I never knew that.
- Well, I help them out at weekends.

[Noel] And there's one more baker
who's rolling back the years...

I'm doing rhubarb and custard Battenberg.

So, there's a custard sponge
and then the rhubarb jam will go between,

which I'm hoping will be quite tart.

Are you doing a classic
four square design?

I don't want to show you,
because I haven't got it right yet.

I'm trying to get a bit of a funky
star-shaped pattern.

[Matt] Lottie lives in Littlehampton

and unwinds from her job
as a pantomime producer

by listening to Viking metal whilst baking
and doing yoga with her friend, Naomi.

- Do you want to lift your arms up?
- No.

[Matt] For her take
on the old-fashioned sweet,

she'll attempt a striped marzipan
to surround her star-shaped sponge,

which there could already
be an issue with.

Why is it curdling?

The sponge has got lumps of butter in.
I prefer it like that, to be honest.

It's because the butter is too cold.

- You think I should redo my batter?
- Why?

- It's got lumps of butter in it. See?
- Show me.

- Yeah, redo it. Yeah.
- Redo it?

- Oh, mate.
- Solid start.

Just got to weigh out half of this.

[Matt] The judges
have demanded Battenbergs

featuring at least
two complementary flavours.

Just adding cream soda
into half of the mixture.

I'm now running about 20 minutes behind.

[Matt] Whilst Lottie has had to start her
trip to the sweet shop all over again...

Nothing gradual about that.

[Matt] ...Dave's headed straight
for the off-licence.

The flavours today,
I'm choosing to do espresso martini.

[Matt] Dave is an armoured
security guard from Hampshire

and he and his partner, Stacey,

are getting ready for the arrival
of their first baby.

One of his sponges will feature
chocolate and coffee liqueur

and the other
will be flavoured with vodka.

- Do you go off-piste a lot?
- Yes.

You read a recipe and go,
"Not doing that"?

[Dave] Gonna have to wing it.

Just see a recipe as a sort of
loose satchel of ideas.

Yeah, it's a guide.

- Rules are meant to be broken.
- Exactly.

They can't contain you. You're a maverick.

[chuckles]

[Matt] But bold flavour combinations
aren't quite enough.

Need to get a good, deep red.

[Matt] Key to Battenberg success
are contrasting colours.

Some blue food colouring,
it just works.

- [Noel] But unlike Loriea...
- I'm just making raspberry jam.

[Noel] ...some bakers
are colouring their cakes

with something a little less artificial.

I'm doing a sour cherry
and chocolate and walnut Battenberg.

These are sour cherries.
It helps colour it and give it flavour.

[Noel] Marc lives in Cornwall
and is a part-time carer

and full-time single dad
to his daughters, Jasmine and Rosie.

- [Marc] Hey!
- [Jasmine] Rose!

[Noel] His sour cherry and chocolate
and walnut sponges will be wrapped

in a highly-decorated rose water marzipan.

[Matt] Hello, Marc.
I've got a question for you.

We have two Marks on the show.
There's you and Mark.

Are you willing to surrender your name?

I'll call myself after my dog, Hamish.

- Hamish?
- Yeah.

[Matt] What would you normally be doing?

- I work with a young lad.
- Will he be watching this?

- He will be, yeah.
- What's his name?

- His name is Josh.
- Josh.

Hello, Josh. How are you doing? All right?
You should be very proud of Hamish.

[laughs]

[Loriea] Going into the oven.

[Noel] The sooner the sponges
begin baking...

One on each shelf.

[Noel] ...the sooner they can be cooled.

Stressful.

[Noel] A Battenberg requires
precise cutting and shaping.

Well, it's with the oven gods now.

[Noel] Any attempt to trim a warm sponge
could see it fall apart.

Aah, scary.

If I could stop shaking, it would help.

[Noel] Now, Matt,
this is your first ever time call.

I know. Can you do it?

- [chuckles] I can't. You do it.
- All right, I'll do it.

I'll do it. No, you do it.

You do it.

Bakers! [laughing]

You have one hour left.

And then Paul Hollywood's coming.

Get it in the oven. Please be good to me.

[Matt] Deciding when to stop baking
is a crucial decision.

[Laura] We're good to go.

[Matt] The judges are expecting
a sharp geometric design...

Sponges done.

[Matt] ...which demands
sponges baked just enough

to hold their form when cut.

I'll give that another five minutes.

[Matt] But baked a fraction too long,
a Battenberg's soft texture will be lost.

Another two minutes.

[Matt] And Peter is timing sponges
unlike anyone else's.

[Peter] It's a gluten-free sponge.

I'm actually more used to making
gluten-free than I am regular.

[Noel] Twenty-year-old Peter

is a badminton-mad accountancy student
from Edinburgh.

He began wheat-free baking
for his older brother, Andrew,

who's gluten intolerant.

High-quality back garden badminton.

[Noel] His gluten-free dark chocolate
and orange sponges

will be wrapped in a polka dot marzipan,

and he'll check them with a trick
he learnt when he was just ten years old.

John Whaite on series three of Bake Off
said his mum taught him to listen to it.

If it's still wet, it'll sound
like it's boiling away,

but if it's just a nice, moist cake,

it's got a gentle,
gentle sound to it, so...

That was a good tip
from Bake Off. [chuckles]

[Matt] Sura probably won't need
to bake with her ears.

[Sura] The cake is overflowing.

I didn't use this tin in practise
'cause it took three weeks to arrive.

[Matt] Sura is a hospital pharmacist

and lives in West London with her husband,
Chad, and their cat, Ghost.

[Sura] What's that?

[Matt] She'll have to transform
her overflowing sponges

into a lemon and orange Battenberg
complete with mini marzipan fruits.

[Sura] I feel sorry for whoever's
gonna clean up after me.

[Matt] Hello, Sura.

You were a bit nervous earlier,
weren't you?

- Yeah.
- You wanted to start again.

- [Sura] I wouldn't have had time.
- You wouldn't. Are you a Battenberg fan?

Will you be trying your own cake
or are you just like,

- "I'm not doing it"?
- I'm over cake.

I've been tasting it and trying it out.

- Really? [chuckles]
- Yeah.

I don't want to eat
any more cake ever again.

You might be on the wrong show, Sura.

Yeah, I know. [blows]

- [Laura] How long have we got left?
- About 40 minutes?

[Noel] Now, the battle for Battenberg
gets even harder.

[Loriea] Very blue.

What's life without taking
a little bit of risk, so...

[Lottie] They look overcooked,
but feel relatively soft,

so I can work with that.

[Noel] This afternoon tea classic
is famous

for its flawless marzipan wrapping.

[Sura] I've never eaten marzipan.

They were like, "You've got to try it".
I was like, "Mmm-hmm".

[Noel] Paul and Prue have insisted
that the bakers make their own.

[Mark] So I'm going for
a dark green marzipan.

I'm doing
a Turkish bazaar-inspired Battenberg.

Me and my wife both love Istanbul.

It's actually my wedding anniversary
today, so I thought it was a good...

It's actually a good time
to do the Battenberg, yeah.

[Matt] Mark is a project manager

and lives in Liverpool
with his wife, Laura.

- [dog barks]
- [Mark laughing]

[Matt] Beneath his green marzipan
will be Turkish flavours

of orange, pistachio,
cardamom and pomegranate.

You spoke to your wife yet? Anniversary?

[Mark] I sent her a message earlier
but not since.

- No. Really? Playing it cool?
- Yeah...

- Yeah... [laughs]
- [Noel chuckles]

- Not text her till...
- Can't play it cool once you're married.

- It's a done deal.
- You can't... No, no...

[Noel] At least you didn't forget.
It's quite a busy day for you, to be fair.

- First day, and your anniversary.
- Exactly.

- It's all stacked up against you. [laughs]
- It is.

- You did really well.
- It is.

[both laugh]

[Matt] And Mark
isn't alone in using colour

to elevate the humble marzipan.

Well, I'm making my night-sky marzipan.

My great hero in music is Mozart.

His opera The Magic Flute

is all about the forces of darkness
and the forces of enlightenment.

So, the outside of the cake
is the night sky...

[Noel chuckles]

...which represents
the forces of darkness,

and then inside
is the temple of enlightenment.

- This sounds genius.
- [Prue] So... No...

How are you going to represent
a temple inside a Battenberg?

With a very complicated lot of cutting.

[Matt] Rowan is a music teacher

and lives in Pershore, Worcestershire
with his partner, Paul.

Beneath his marzipan night sky,

his temple will be built from


And have you done this before, Rowan?

- Yes.
- And did it work?

- Yes.
- [Noel laughs]

[Matt] And if you thought
a marzipan night sky

and Battenberg temple were unusual...

My Battenberg is gonna be shaped
as an ambulance.

[chuckling]

[Noel] Linda works in supported housing

and lives in Bexhill-on-Sea
with her partner, Richard.

[Linda] Aww, it's lovely.

[Noel] Her Battenberg ambulance
will be dedicated

to a very special family member.

[Linda] It's going to be
a tribute to my cousin.

He was a paramedic.

He sadly passed away.
He was a fantastic guy.

So, this is a really special one.
Gonna make me cry, this one.

[chuckling]

[Matt] A classic marzipan
is a carefully kneaded mix

of eggs, sugar and ground almonds.

A traditional recipe
that Mak has decided to ignore.

I think I'm the only baker
doing pistachio.

I've always felt... blergh,

a yuckiness about almond marzipan.

[Noel] Mak is a management accountant
for a housing association

and keeps bees with his eldest son, Zafar,
on their allotment in Bolton.

[Mak] Ooh! This looks a bit full.

[Noel] His pistachio marzipan will wrap
orange and spiced stem ginger sponges.

[Mak] My kids, they're the same as me.
They don't really like almond marzipan.

So, I thought, "Hey, let's do pistachios".

I'm measuring some orange liqueur
to add to my marzipan.

Good boy. Well done!

[Matt] Hermine is a trainee accountant

and lives in West London
with her son, Stephen.

What are you doing?

[Matt] In the marzipan
for her chocolate-orange Battenberg,

orange liqueur won't be
the only surprising ingredient.

I'm making it with some marmalade.

- Marmalade in the marzipan?
- Yes, instead of, er, eggs.

Interesting.

- I've never made a Battenberg before.
- That's handy.

- You've practised it, though?
- [Hermine] I did.

It's not my area of, er...

- Expertise.
- Expertise.

What is your area of expertise?

My French patisserie.

We look forward
to great decoration on this, then.

- Hopefully. [laughs nervously]
- [judges laugh]

[Noel] Bakers, you've only got
half an hour left.

We don't mean half an hour to live,

we just mean half an hour till the end
of the challenge, so don't panic too much.

One of you's got half an hour to live.

[chuckles]

[Noel] A Battenberg must have
a sharp symmetrical design...

Voilà!

[Noel] ...which can only be achieved
with patient and precise cutting.

Lovely. A crispy cake.

We'll cut it off, we'll cut it off.
No one saw apart from the cameras.

Just measuring it with a ruler
and going with the flow.

[Mark] It's all about precision, this one.

[Mak] If you get the measurements wrong,
when you put them together,

they might be oddly out of shape
and the Battenberg wouldn't sit right.

Okay.

[Noel] But to erect his temple...

[Rowan] Three point three.

[Noel] ...Rowan has more cutting to do
than anyone else.

[exhales] Here we go.

I've made this box out of
a CD storage thing with various cuts

that slots in at different levels
to give me the right size bits of cake.

There are 13 different pieces
so hopefully it'll work.

So warm.

[Matt] But Lottie
isn't ready to begin cutting.

[Lottie] I'm making the marzipan.

It's not a skill I need,
I don't think, moving forward.

[Matt] And now,
she's not the only baker...

[Sura] I'm praying that it cools down.

[Matt] ...fretting about time.

[Laura] Oh, I'm really worried that
that's not cooked enough.

- How long have we got left?
- Twenty-four minutes.

[Rowan] Oh, for goodness sake.

[Noel] The larger sponges
for Rowan's temple are raw in the middle.

I think I'm going to put
a cake in the microwave

'cause they cook from the middle.

Try and cook the centre that way.
Is this just gonna be a disaster?

You've got to roll out the meringue,
er, the marzipan.

That goes to show how much I like that.

[Noel] Roll too thick and the marzipan

will overwhelm the flavours
of the cakes and fillings...

[Laura] Oh, please taste nice.

[Noel] ...but too thin and it will cr*ck
as they wrap it around their Battenberg.

[Marc] I've added a bit
of rosewater in there.

[Peter] Rolling out balls
of chocolate marzipan

and that's gonna make a polka dot effect
on the outside of the cake.

[Matt] Bakers, you have 15 minutes.

Moment of truth.

Just spreading on some buttercream.

[Matt] Whilst the delicate process
of construction can begin for some...

[Peter] The aim is to get the edges sharp.

They're gonna be looking for
a clean cross-section.

[Laura] No pressure.

[Rowan] I don't think it's great.
I might have to simplify my design.

The temple might have to go. [laughs]

[Matt] As Rowan's plans
get less ambitious...

[Lottie] Okay, what am I doing?

[Matt] ...despite being behind,
Lottie's rhubarb and custard Battenberg

seems to be getting
more and more complicated.

[Lottie] Everything
that is so easy at home

suddenly becomes an absolute nightmare
when you're in the tent.

[Rowan] How many minutes? Seven. Seven.

Gosh.

Right, here goes nothing.

[Noel] Paul and Prue are expecting
a flawless wrapping of marzipan.

[Peter] The marzipan
is gonna join at the bottom

so the seam of the marzipan
shouldn't be visible.

Maybe just a... A more blocky shape.

[inhales sharply] Ooh. I'm really sticky.

[Loriea] It's cracking in some areas.

[Sura] How long?

[Rowan] What are we, three minutes now?
Come on, come on.

Can't complain.

Hey, Lottie, is this a critical moment?

- Yeah, it is. Thanks for coming round.
- [chuckling]

[Lottie] Why did I put an intricate design

- with minutes to spare?
- [Noel] Yeah.

- "Yeah"?
- Looks good, though.

You're gonna wrap this
around that when that's done?

You're nailing this.

One minute remaining.

Maybe take the cling film off.

Bit of stardust on there.

Bakers, your time is up!

[Rowan] I'm not displeased
with that, actually.

[Lottie] We don't have to wash up.

- Oh, yes!
- Yes!

[Noel] The bakers will now face
Prue and Paul for the very first time.

[Paul] I like the overall look of it,
it's neat.

[Prue] I love the polka dots.

Love the texture of the chocolate one.

It's both crumbly and moist
which is quite difficult to get.

Nice thin marzipan.

The chocolate's got
a lovely flavour to it. Decadent.

It's the same with the orange.

Gluten-free flour
for sponges really does work.

- It's great.
- [Prue] Delicious.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

Well done.

[all laughing]

[Prue] It's very neat, isn't it?

Good orange flavour.

I just question the ginger with the orange
and then on the outside, the pistachio.

It's too complicated.

The almond marzipan
would have been better than the pistachio.

- [Prue] That looks striking.
- [Paul] The decoration's neat.

The marmalade brings bitterness
to the marzipan.

It blends the orange
and the chocolate together,

- so it's never gonna be too sweet.
- It really is a pleasure to eat it.

- Aw, that means a lot. Thank you.
- [Paul] Good job.

The one thing you expect
from a Battenberg is incredible neatness.

You've got no distinction
in the colours of the sponge.

But your flowers look sweet.

I'm getting a plain sponge
and the raspberry.

- Okay.
- And that's pretty much it.

[Prue] Really nice square edges.

The coffee overpowers the chocolate.

- It's delicious.
- [Paul] You can't really get the booze.

It's a beautiful coffee
and vanilla Battenberg.

I think you explained it wrong.

It's lacking identity.

- [chuckles] Yeah.
- [Paul] He's just unfinished.

- [Linda] Yes.
- [Paul] Oh, we have the St George flag.

- It's over-baked. It's bone dry.
- Yeah.

[Prue] I wish we could give you marks

- for your handsome cousin.
- [Linda] He's lovely.

- [Prue] Very striking.
- [Paul] I can smell the bubble gum.

- [Matt] About to say...
- So can I. [chuckles]

That's a good thing.

I'm rolling it round
to try and blow a bubble.

I reckon if I did it long enough,
I probably could. That's bone dry.

The flavours are intense.
I love bubble gum, I like cream soda,

it just needed to be
a little bit less heavy.

And it's really thick, the marzipan.

I do rather like it, I have to say.

When I have my ninth birthday party,
can you cook for me?

I will try not to over bake the sponges.
So, we've got a deal. [laughs]

[Prue] It's a nice light sponge.

It's a little thick,
but I like the marzipan.

Pomegranates don't do anything
flavour-wise.

There's pistachio in the green sponge,

- that brings a lovely texture to it.
- Thank you.

[Paul] If Fanny Cradock
was gonna do a Battenberg...

- [both] That would be it.
- Is that a compliment?

- [Marc] I know...
- [Prue] I think it's a bit too busy.

- Good strong sour cherry. Lovely.
- [Paul] Fantastic.

- There's too much rose water.
- Okay.

- Shall I open it for you?
- [Paul] Please.

[Prue] I like it wrapped up.
Oh, I love your stripes.

- [Paul] The starburst.
- Yeah.

It's a little bit messy.
Was it warm when you were doing it?

Yeah.

The colours are really wonderful.

I like the cake.

They both taste the same,
is that meant to...

- Er, yes?
- [Prue and Lottie laughing]

The yellow is supposed be a custard.

[Prue] They both taste delicious,
and the same.

The rhubarb jam
that you've made is nice and strong.

And there's enough acidity in it
to cut the sweetness.

It's a good effort.

- I'm struggling not to eat more.
- [Matt] Mmm.

- Do you want to finish?
- I'll stay here

- and eat.
- Please do.

They'll judge everyone else.

I had to change the design
at the very last minute.

- So no temple, then?
- It's a deconstructed temple.

[Paul] I think the night sky
looks quite effective.

[Prue] Yes. And actually, it's quite neat.

I can tell by the way
the Kn*fe goes through

that that's quite a heavy sponge.

- It's a bit hard work for cake.
- [Rowan] Okay.

[chuckles]

There's moisture in there
that still needs to get out.

Okay.

- That looks really pretty.
- Thank you.

[Paul] I like the decoration.
I like that you've glazed it, too,

'cause that, again, sets it off.

[Prue] The flavours are there.

The texture is very good. It's very neat.

I like the marzipan.
Individual elements are good,

- including the buttercream.
- It's a lovely piece of cake.

Thank you so much.

What's the stalk made from?

- [Sura] You're not meant to eat it.
- I know that now.

[all laughing]

It's a clove.
So your mouth's gonna be numb now.

It tastes of Christmas.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Sorry.

It's fine 'cause the cake was delicious.

- I don't mind.
- Thank you so much.

- Thank you.
- [Paul] Thank you.

Half of the Battenberg is on the...
the bottom of the oven.

Not great.
Erm, it's like toast. It's horrible.

But it turned out okay.

Yay!

That couldn't have gone much better.
I'm really pretty amped about that, yeah.

[exhales]

Breathe.

I was aiming for the middle
of the road and got it.

Don't want to make a name
for myself first... first bake.

It wasn't a resounding success.
But I thought it was useful.

[Noel] Each week,
the bakers' second challenge

will be a gingham-covered mystery.

It's time
for your first technical challenge,

which comes courtesy of Paul Hollywood.

Paul, any words of wisdom?

This is a classic.

We're testing you on your timings
and your consistency.

So read your recipes carefully.

[Noel] Very helpful.

Basically, read your recipes.

This challenge will be judged blind

so we're gonna have to ask
these two lovelies to b*at it.

Off you pop.

Paul Hollywood would like you to make
six miniature pineapple upside-down cakes.

Each should be topped
with a fresh pineapple ring

and soaked in caramel syrup.

[Noel] You have 90 minutes.

- On your marks...
- Get set...

Bake!

[Laura] I love pineapple upside-down cake.

My dad and my husband love it.
So, I've made it a few times.

[Peter] I've made
pineapple upside-down cake in school.

[Matt] In each technical challenge,
the bakers are given identical ingredients

and the same pared-down recipe.

I've actually never made this before.
Funny enough.

Never even tried one.

I've heard of it.
I've not eaten one, I don't think.

This is a classic bake.
Pineapple upside-down cake is something

I used to have at school dinners.

[Prue] It does look lovely.
Shall we taste it?

It's light, buttery, but also,
you have the perfect caramel.

If it goes too dark, it's too bitter.
But if you can't see the caramel,

you're not gonna be able
to get that caramel flavour.

The worst thing is ripping the sponge
when they're trying to get it out.

Getting it out of the tin
is where most people come unstuck

because the caramel
sticks to the edge and it's difficult.

[Paul] Gonna be interesting.

I don't want to eat this
'cause I've got 12 to come.

- I can't resist it.
- Ah, ditto.

[Sura] The first step is for the syrup.

"Tip 30g of caster sugar into a pan."

[Peter] "Two tablespoons water."

"Place over low heat,
stir until sugar dissolves."

"Increase the heat
and cook to a golden caramel."

The caramel can crystallise very quickly.

I'm trying not to stir it,
but I need it to hurry up

because I don't have all day.

I've not made many caramels, so...

Slightly nervous.

So, how's it going?

[Loriea] It's a case of multi-tasking
and keeping my eyes on the syrup.

- [Noel] You pull this off, maybe...
- I might just make it to next week.

...the dry blue cake
might become a distant memory.

No, I think that'll be
haunting me for a while.

[Linda] "Remove from heat
and pour in boiling water,

stand back
as the caramel will spit a bit."

And then, I'll reduce it and simmer
until it is in syrup consistency.

You need to hurry up.

[Loriea] I'm fairly happy.

It's looking a bit blond
so I need to take the syrup

that little bit further.

That's getting close.
I'll turn it down a bit.

Looks like it could burn on me.

Might be a bit too dark, not sure.

It did smell
like it was about to burn. But, erm...

Happy with it.

Now I'm on to the very instructional stage
of making the sponge.

So that's butter and sugar.
You b*at it until it's light.

Next...

Add a little bit of flour as you go,

because it can just curdle a little bit.

I'm gonna try and not have a dry sponge.

Prepare the moulds. Prepare the moulds.

I've lined them with butter
to make sure they'll get out.

"Divide the syrup
and place a pineapple ring

and a maraschino cherry into each mould."

So syrup in first.

And then the pineapple.

I'm not quite sure what quantity
I'm supposed to put in, though.

[Noel] The level of syrup
has to be precise.

[Dave] I don't know
if that can go on there.

That can't go on there.

[Noel] Too little, and the cake won't have
a decadent caramel flavour

that Paul has demanded.

[Rowan] Try and get more even.

[Noel] But too much, and the liquid
will prevent the sponge from rising.

[Linda] Oh! Possibly too much caramel.

Haven't read things very well, have I?

[Marc] Gone over a little bit.

Yikes. [chuckles]

[Rowan] I'll need to weigh to make sure
I've got equal amounts of batter.

[Lottie] Can't be doing with the fiddly.

- You'd rather make one big massive one?
- Like a traybake

- to feed...
- A huge one we could all sit around?

- Yeah, like a table.
- And just tear chunks off.

- Exactly.
- Like wild...

- Animals. Yeah.
- ...animals.

[Peter] I'm using a piping bag
'cause it's just faster and cleaner.

- Get ready to go into the oven.
- So, in it goes.

- [Noel] Forty-five minutes remaining.
- How long do they go into the oven for?

You just watch it.
This is what I'm guessing. I don't know.

No. Well, don't look at me.
I ain't got a clue.

- Okay.
- Okay.

I'm gonna start with ten,
give 'em a wee check.

About 15 minutes.

I made the rookie error.
Didn't butter the moulds.

More than likely gonna stick.

[Noel] Bakers, you've got 15 minutes left.

They smell cooked.

[Linda] I think they're cooked
but they're not up where they should be.

Yep, as far as I can tell, that's good.

They sound about right.

[Noel] They look good. Look at those!

- You got skills.
- I hope so.

I wasn't sure earlier.

- [Sura laughs]
- I'm joking.

What should I do with that?

- I'm gonna take...
- Take it away?

- You can't, it's hot.
- Maybe just throw it behind you.

Throw it, someone will deal with it.

- You don't have to deal with that.
- No.

You're a baking superstar.

[Linda] Well, they've just sunk.
So they've not worked.

Oh, gosh. They're like toffee. There's
too much syrup. That's what it was.

[Lottie] Shall I do that thing
that people do on Bake Off?

Just do this for a little while.

Does this work? You think this works?

Everybody wafts.

Bit of waftage.

[blowing] How long left?

Bakers.

- [Noel] You... Five... Left!
- [Matt] Have... Minutes...

[Marc] Still quite warm.

Oh, dear.

I think I should turn them out.

[Laura] Moment of truth.

That's one that's good,
but the pineapple didn't come out,

- so we're on a rescue mission.
- Er, ooh, er. [laughs]

[Sura] Spot on.

[laughing] They're not gonna come out,
I don't think.

[Rowan] Better than it might have been.
Put it that way.

[Marc] It would've been nice
to have nice, clean sides,

but I didn't grease my moulds.

They would've been even
if I managed to carve it out nicer.

[Linda] I could just shape that like that.
Oh, they are a disaster, aren't they?

Bakers, you do be have one minute now.

[Laura] Gonna pipe the rosettes on,
and I'll be good.

Put some cream, a cherry on top.

I don't think they'll be cool enough.

- [Mark] It's too hot.
- [Loriea] Ooh, that one was not ready.

The cream's starting to fall off.

Bakers, your time is up.

[Loriea] Oh, my cream fell off.

Please place
your pineapple upside-down cakes

on the gingham cloth
in front of your pictures.

- [laughs]
- [Loriea] What a hideous cake.

[sighs] Oh, I think I deserve a cherry.

- Look at this.
- [Mark] Oh, no.

[Sura] Oh! Go away. Ugh!

- Ooh. [gasps]
- [Rowan] No!

I'm so sorry.

Oh, my God.

I'm so sorry. There was a fly.
I went to shoo it away,

- and knocked... Look.
- Don't worry about it. It's fine.

I'm... I'm sure they can go by

what they looked like
before I brought them over.

- [Sura] Let's tidy it up.
- [Matt] The good news

is the front two are absolutely fine.
And we'll tell Paul what happened.

[whispers] Oh, don't cry. It's all right.

- It's okay.
- [Sura] Such a horrible thing...

Yeah, I know.
You know what? He's okay.

[Mark] Total accident.

It happens. Accidents happen.

- I blame Matt, really.
- [Matt] It was actually my fault,

because I was looking at you
at the time it happened.

And you were probably
hypnotised by my beauty.

[laughing]

- [Matt] That's what happened.
- Maybe.

[Noel] Paul and Prue are expecting
six identical pineapple upside-down cakes

topped with caramel, cream
and crowned with a cherry.

And they'll have no idea whose is whose.

[Sura sighs]

Shall we start over here?

- It's got a nice height to it.
- [Prue] It's about the right colour.

The cream went on
when they were still hot.

[Paul] Let's have a look.

- Nice and light, it's well-balanced.
- Very light.

[Paul] Again, it's the heat.

You can see where the cream melted
and it slid off the top.

Good flavour, that cake.
It just doesn't look great.

[Paul] These do look neat.
Colour looks good.

And it's pretty uniform as well,
across all six.

The balance between the sponge,
the cream...

- It's good.
- ...and syrup together,

- the balance is good.
- [Prue] Lovely.

[Paul] Moving on to number four.
Again, problems with the heat.

Coming out the tins,
just needs to be higher,

- just a little bit more open.
- [Prue] It's a bit doughy.

[Paul] These look quite neat.
Cherry sits well on the top.

- [Prue] Nice colour.
- [Paul] They're pretty uniform.

- [Prue] Lovely cake.
- [Paul] It is a nice cake.

Moving on.
Now, looks quite dark in places.

That caramel is a bit dominant
because it's a little darker.

This, on the other hand,
is a bit too pale.

[Paul] It's pale. They were rushing,
brought it out early.

Put the cream when it was piping hot,
and it just poured off side.

- Yeah. It does not look a pretty thing.
- [chuckling] It doesn't.

[Prue] If you get it a little browner,
it takes away from some of the sweetness

because the caramel has that
just tiny little bit of bitterness.

- Anyway...
- We're going from pale to very dark.

This one got stuck in the tin.

- But also, that's too dark.
- [Prue] Yeah.

It's a bit too dark.

- It's quite bitter.
- Mmm. And there's a lot of caramel.

[Paul] It's burnt.

We move on to one
that's just in the middle.

[Prue] And looks really nice.
I mean, the piping's good,

caramel colour is good.
They're even, they're all risen.

[Paul] The caramel's just the right level,
so it brings in the colour, the flavour.

- No problem with that at all.
- Mmm.

Moving on to this one. Piping's good.

[Prue] Excellent.

[Paul] It's been put on
when it's relatively cool.

It's well-balanced. You have caramel...

- It's lovely.
- Almost toffee-like.

And it balances beautifully
with the sponge.

Now, we move
from the sublime to number 11.

Issues bringing it out,
issues with the sponge.

[Prue] Didn't rise enough.

- [Paul] Getting it out.
- Hot when the cream went on.

Too hot when the cream went on.
What has happened to this?

[Prue] I don't think
it's properly cooked, is it?

[Paul] Looks like it's been
pushed together into the tin.

Moving on to the last one.

We heard there was an issue
where it was dropped,

so this one being the neatest one,
we'll take that as a template.

- [Noel] Yeah.
- [Paul] They look dark

down the side there, almost burnt.

That's not because it was dropped.

- [Prue laughs]
- [Paul] It's been over-caramelised.

But they've got a nice height to them.

Mmm. Delicious.

[Noel] Paul and Prue will now
rank the cakes from worst to best.

In 12th place is this one.

Oh, Linda.

Well, you know what,
there's only one way now.

It's up from here, isn't it?

Eleventh spot is this one.

Very bitter. That caramel
had gone way over the top.

- You had a problem with it sticking.
- Then, number ten is this one.

Loriea. This is the opposite of that one.
It's just a little too pale.

[Matt] Dave is ninth, Mak eighth,
Mark is seventh, Laura six,

Hermine is fifth and Lottie is fourth.

In third spot, we have this one.

Good consistency across the board
and the sponge was very, very good.

And then, in second place...

we have this one. Who is that?

Peter. It is pretty well faultless.

But a smidgen below the winner.

Which leaves first place.

Well done, Sura. They're very, very good.

The pipe work was beautiful and smooth,
the sponge, the caramel. Well done.

It was bittersweet
because I feel so sad for Dave.

I know you hate that
but you did really well.

I wish it...
I wish it didn't happen, to be honest.

It is a bit of a crackerjack of a day.
I'm, er... I'm pretty pleased.

Don't like making big mistakes.
That was a big mistake.

They asked for
a pineapple upside-down cake

and I gave them a pineapple fritter,
didn't I, really?

[Matt] There's one
cake challenge remaining

before we crown
this year's first Star Baker,

and reveal who will be leaving the tent.

We're filming in a bubble.

I tell you what,
I'm quite anxious about being locked up

- for weeks on end with you three guys.
- [laughs]

There's not a grown-up among you.

I was looking forward
to spending time with you, Prue.

- You really were?
- Yeah.

I love how you two pretend
we don't all live together in real life.

[laughing]

[Paul] We've got
some real talent in the tent.

Sura was a deserving winner
in the technical.

You got Pete, Hermine. I think
she's in line for Star Baker as well.

So who do you think is in the bottom?

[Paul] I think Loriea.
She had that bubble gum idea.

I think Marc E and certainly, Linda.

There's a lot in the middle
that could go either way.

It's very tough, isn't it?
Somebody's gone through lockdown,

and they've come here,
and they've quarantined,

and they're just in the competition
for two days.

I think that's always the worst,
is to go home right at the beginning.

We'll have one big camera,
they'll just walk off into the distance,

socially distancing,
with that music from The Hulk at the end.

- [Paul] Yeah.
- [both vocalising]

Bakers, welcome back.

And I hope you're ready for
your very first showstopper challenge.

Paul and Prue would like you
to make a cake bust

depicting your personal celebrity hero.

Your 3D cake bust must have a head.

And it must be made... [laughs]

[Matt laughing]

And it must be made mainly from cake.

Although you can use
some other edible details.

Okay, you've got four hours.
On your marks.

- Get set...
- [in deep voice] Bake.

- Right, let's go.
- [exhales] Okay.

Roll my sleeves up.
I am petrified, but this showstopper,

it's just got so many things happening.

It's given me quite a few
sleepless nights, this one.

To make a cake bust,
head and shoulders of a person,

we're asking them to be engineers,
decorators and bakers.

The big risk with a challenge like this

is ending up with too much icing,
too much buttercream,

which will be too heavy,
make it too sweet,

even if it makes it look fantastic.

For me, the secret with this challenge is

the structure they're gonna use
to put the cake onto.

If there's no proper structure,

or if they don't bake
the sponges correctly,

it will collapse.

- [Paul] Hello.
- [Marc] Hi, Prue.

- Hello.
- Hi, Matt.

Tell us about your bust.
What are you gonna be doing?

I'm doing David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.

Perfect.

Ziggy Stardust is going to be
instantly recognisable

- just because of the colours.
- Yeah.

[Matt] A fondant lightning strike
will decorate Marc's chocolate sponge

and vanilla buttercream reimagining
of the Thin White Duke.

[Prue] One of the wonderful things
about David Bowie

- is the shape of his face.
- Well, this is it.

- It's so beautiful and so slim.
- His face is quite slender.

First time I made it, it looked
more like Desperate Dan.

[Noel] And Bowie will be joined on stage
by another musical legend.

My hero is Bob Marley.

I just love his ethos,
not to worry about stuff.

Been singing it all morning.

[Matt] After a difficult first day,

Linda's hoping
her lemon and orange sponge Bob

will be her "Redemption Song",

filled with lemon and orange curds
and a coconut rum mascarpone cream.

Is the alcohol there for Prue?

Well, I thought it might cheer Paul up.

[laughing] Nothing cheers Paul up.

How much booze you got in there?
A couple bottles?

- A bottle and a half.
- Really? No.

And if that doesn't get
the backstage party started...

♪ Hey, oh! ♪

♪ Hey-ey-ey, oh ♪

I love Freddie Mercury.
You're a big Queen fan?

Yeah.

[Noel] Laura's lemon and elderflower
Freddie Mercury

will take to the stage
in a highly-detailed fondant icing replica

of his iconic yellow jacket.

[Matt] You've practised this?

Last time I did it, the head exploded
and it went in the bin.

Right.

- Yeah.
- Cut.

- [sneezes]
- Bless you.

Too much chilli.

[Prue] Hello, Loriea.

Right, Loriea, who you gonna be doing
for your bust?

I will be doing
Miss Louise Bennett-Coverley.

She's a Jamaican poet.

And she's got a poem about identity,
and I've got a mismatch of accents,

which I think works well for this.

[Matt] Loriea will celebrate
her Durham and Jamaican roots

with a chocolate sponge,

with Scotch bonnet chilli
and spiced ginger and mango jam.

I have practised this multiple times.

- [Prue chuckles]
- And my first attempt,

it looked like I created Dobby.

- [laughs]
- [Loriea] So you will get

hopefully a better version
of something like that.

- Hi.
- Hello. I hear you're doing David.

- Yeah.
- 'Cause you pushed his cakes over?

- [Sura] No!
- [Noel] Sorry, I got mixed up.

- Who are you doing?
- Sir David Attenborough.

- What a ledge.
- He is a ledge.

- [Noel] Love him?
- So much.

- [Noel] Ever met him?
- No.

- Of course I've not...
- He's coming today.

- Of course he's not.
- I texted him.

- Oh, sure.
- Said, "Sura needs you".

I do need him. I need a life model.

[Matt] Sir David will be
flavoured with coconut

and layered with
raspberry Italian meringue buttercream.

People won't mind if you get it wrong,
but the animal kingdom will be furious.

- Well, we can't have that.
- There'll be voles, gerbils...

- [laughing] Coming for me?
- ...marmosets coming for you. [laughs]

- The odd pigeon.
- [Sura laughing]

- Good luck.
- [Sura] Stop it!

[Matt] But Sura's Sir David
will have a rival.

Well, I'm doing
a cake bust of Charles Darwin.

- Uh-huh.
- [Mark] Studied zoology at university.

I thought the Bake Off tent is
a bit like the survival of the fittest.

- So...
- [all laughing]

[Noel] Mark will carve a spiced
ginger sponge of coconut buttercream

into a simple stone-style bust
of the pioneering naturalist.

[Mark] I'm not a really decorative baker.

I like the idea
of doing someone who's not alive,

so I can't offend them. [laughing]

[Matt] Whilst Lottie's
chosen hero is very much alive,

it doesn't look like it at the moment.

[Lottie] I have a skull mould
which I'm just gonna build on top of.

Because that's what's
underneath someone's head.

[Noel] Lottie's coconut and lime skull

will be transformed into
a spectacle bust of Louis Theroux.

- [Paul] He was on last year.
- Yeah.

So, with Louis having been on the show,
you two will know how he tastes.

Yeah. He tastes a little bit coconut-y.

- I think it sounds delicious.
- Thank you.

I hope so.

[singsong] Please cook
and be nice, and don't be sh*t.

[Matt] Building a bust
out of cake and several sponges...

More sponges than a Turkish bath.

- [Matt] ...of varying sizes and shapes...
- [Linda] They're in.

[Matt] ...is creating a time-management
nightmare for the bakers.

Got two timers on the go,
one for the oven and one for... my task.

It's very complicated, isn't it?

[Matt] Rowan's hero demands something
even more elaborate than multiple sponges.

I am making Queen Marie Antoinette.

Oh.

[Rowan] It'll be a chocolate cake
with kirsch-soaked cherries.

And I'm making choux buns
to make Her Majesty's hairdo.

[Noel] Whilst her choux hairdo
might prove complicated,

things should be simpler
with Marie Antoinette's face.

[Paul] Good idea
with the mask in the mould.

That'll give you an instant image,
so you've got something to work from.

- I hope to do it justice.
- [Paul] Absolutely. Thanks.

Good luck.

I'm just laughing to myself.
We must be completely mad. [chuckles]

It's a massive dash
against the clock. [laughing]

Completely bonkers.

Who in their right mind? [chuckles]

[Noel] I fancy a cup of tea
and I don't know why.

- Really?
- Yeah, I don't know why.

Bakers, you are halfway through!

I just have so much to do,

I'm just really aware of
so many different multiple elements.

Next, I've got to make
coffee mascarpone cream

to go between the slices.

[Noel] As well as helping
to hold their busts together...

[Sura] So, I'm going with
raspberry Italian meringue buttercream.

[Noel] ...the bakers' fillings are another
chance to deliver showstopping flavours.

This is my lemon
and elderflower mascarpone cream filling.

I'm not having them say
that my cake is bland.

[Loriea] This is ginger and mango jam.
I'm using a lot of ginger.

[Matt] But Peter is taking
a more subtle approach.

[Peter] Between the cakes, I'm just
gonna have a nice simple strawberry jam

and some whipped double cream.
Er, it's a family favourite.

[Noel] The simple theme will continue

between Peter's
Victoria sandwich rendition

of his cycling hero, Sir Chris Hoy,
sporting fondant goggles and helmet.

Clever way of getting around doing hair.

- Precisely why I wanted to do it.
- [Prue] And goggles.

- [Peter] Yes.
- So, no eyes.

I'm not great at sculpture
and art, erm, so I thought I'd go

more simple and try
and get something that presents well.

- Good luck, Peter.
- Thanks very much.

Right, are you ready?

I think that is, like, just cooked.

[Linda] Yeah. Sorted.

- He's got a lot of sponge.
- [Lottie] Hmm?

- Got a lot of sponge.
- [Lottie] I know.

[Matt] The sponges
might be out of the oven...

[Mak] This bit is so stressful.
It's so hot.

These are hot cakes.

[Matt] ...but until
they're cool enough to carve...

Pop them in the fridge
'cause I can't do anything

because they are still very warm.

[Matt] ...assembly will have to wait.

[Mark] Oh, no! Just lost a sponge.
[clicks tongue]

[groans softly] Damn it!
Just dropped a sponge.

It's fixable, I think.

I can use it for the top,
so it's all right.

Think I'm doing okay for time.

I'm trying to roll out
as much fondant as I can

before the cakes come out the freezer.

[Matt] Using fondant
will allow the bakers to craft the skin,

hair, and clothing that will
hopefully bring their heroes to life.

So, I'm making beads for her necklace.

- [Noel] Is this Prince Charles?
- [Dave] No.

Shall I just keep guessing?

- Meant to be Tom DeLonge.
- Farrah Fawcett?

- Who?
- Tom DeLonge.

- Blink-182.
- [Noel] I know who they are, yeah.

Are you a fan of that type of music, Noel?

Er... yeah.

- [mouths]
- No.

[Dave laughs]

[Noel] Fondant ears and
a highly detailed fondant face and cap

will cover a strawberry,
chocolate and mint homage

to Dave's favourite punk icon.

Do you know what music Matt likes?

When I first met Matt,
he was listening to Roger Whittaker.

Mmm-hmm. Actually true.

- [Dave] I don't...
- [Noel laughs]

I love Roger Whittaker. Do you like him?

- No, weirdly.
- Why not?

[both laughing]

- I like Black Sabbath.
- Oh...

[Hermine] I'm just using
the pasta roller to roll my dress.

- Wow.
- I'm doing Lupita Nyong'o.

- She's a Hollywood actress.
- Yes.

- Black Panther.
- [Hermine] Yes!

- Yes.
- [Prue] Very beautiful girl.

She is.
I hope, er, I could replicate that.

[Noel] Hermine is aiming
to capture Lupita's beauty

by decorating her chocolate
and coffee sponges with fondant fabric

and very lifelike facial features.

[Hermine] I'm gonna make
ice-mould eyes to give it a real eye look.

I hope it will look impressive. [chuckles]

[Matt] Also keen to do his hero justice...

Two eyeballs.

Some cheeky things.

[Matt] ...is Mak.

[Mak] My hero is Bill Bryson.
He's an author I've admired for decades.

Been studying his face so much.

[chuckles] Honestly, I just know
every wrinkle, every nook and cranny.

[Matt] His lemon Madeira sponges

will form the base
for his anatomically thought-out bust,

and to recreate Bill's flowing locks,
he has a special tool to hand.

[Mak] It's a press for making Bombay mix,

and what I'm trying to do
is create strands of hair.

Very nice. Can you make me some, please?

- Just come over here and I'll just...
- Yeah. Yes, please. Yes, thank you.

[Noel] But things aren't going
quite so well at Rowan's hair salon.

[Rowan] Oh, come on, choux buns. Why?

Hoping that it'll rise. We'll see.

Bakers, you have one hour remaining.

[groaning]

- Have you seen my rolling pin?
- No, not anywhere.

[both laughing]

I'm going for the assembly.

I'm dreading this bit because it's...
[clicks tongue, shudders]

[Matt] With their sponges cooled,
the build can begin.

I'm not running any risk
of anything slipping off the mat.

Feeling nervous about time
'cause these need to be really frozen,

but I think they're cool enough to carve.

[Marc] Here we go.

[Noel] Stacking layers
of delicate sponge and creamy fillings

is a precarious task.

Looks a bit like I'm performing
some awful medieval t*rture,

but it is a necessity,
and I'm sure Louis would understand.

Well, I've got some choux,
very flat choux.

Only a matter
of whether it's worth using or not.

Don't wanna be criticised
for it when it's not necessary,

so I'll just, I'll wing it as usual.

[Matt] As the busts get taller...

[Dave] The head's starting
to droop forward.

[Matt] ...and heavier,
the strain on the sponges...

[Marc] It's all cracking.

[Matt] ...starts to take its toll.

[Laura] This is gonna collapse,
I think. [sighs]

Ooh, there's a wobble.

No!

Oh, this is stressful.

Some of Freddie Mercury's
head is not there.

That ain't meant to be happening, is it?

Oh, flipping heck.

Bakers, you have 30 minutes left!

Surprising how
the time just flies, doesn't it?

When you're having fun.

Who just said they're having fun?

Okay, I'm just gonna have to go for it.

[Lottie] Have you ever been this stressed?

[Laura] I've never
been this stressed, mate.

- [Matt] As the fondant goes on...
- [Mak] Speak to me, Mr. Bryson.

[Matt] ...engineering
makes way for artistry.

[Mark] Doing this
to your heroes is horrendous.

[Dave] Mine doesn't look
like him, it's scary.

[Marc] It's so stressful, Paul.

Why did I get into this competition?

- You chose to come here.
- [Marc] I know.

[Paul and Marc laughing]

What the hell is that?

[Noel] It's like a death mask.
Is it a grim reaper?

Erm, it's supposed to be Louis Theroux.

- [laughing]
- Rude!

- [Noel] Have you seen Louis Theroux?
- [both laughing]

[Peter] I have faith he's gonna stand up.

[Laura] He's got
the shortest head in the world.

[sighs]

Embarrassing. Making boobs on national TV.

I don't know
if I've ever fancied a cake before,

but I slightly do now.

[both laughing]

[Rowan] We've decided
to go for rice paper.

Given the disaster with the choux buns,
erm, this seems like the best option.

Bakers, ten minutes left.

[sighs] It's not enough.

It's all gone wrong.

[Loriea] Kind of a lot like
a bandana I'm trying to put on there,

but it never seems to
work as well as I need it to.

[Lottie] Gonna quickly paint his eyes in.

[Sura] Oh, man,
he looks absolutely knackered. Poor David.

I like detail, it's calming.

Time factor-wise, I think it's just gonna
have to be kind of silhouette-y, really.

- [Laura] I can't do it.
- [Sura] You can.

- [Laura] I can't put the head on.
- [Sura] I'll help.

[Laura] I'm too scared to put the head on.

Bakers, you have one minute left.

- Do it.
- Oh!

- Just put it on.
- Jesus Christ.

[Laura] Come on, Freddie,
please stay together.

[Lottie] Louis, please don't hate me
when you see this.

Rowan, can I be of any assistance
for the last bit?

I'm kind of there, thank you.

I'll just do a bit more
pinning of these things.

- [Laura] This needs to sit on top.
- [Sura] It's not going on top.

- Oh!
- You've put the wrong bit in.

- [Mak] Just need glasses on him.
- Long as that holds up for a little bit.

[Laura] Oh, no, Freddie. [chuckling]

[Lottie] Gotta laugh,
he's got a bloody hunchback.

[Laura] Quick.

- No...
- [Laura] It's too big.

This bit, this bit. Go, go, go.

- It's gonna pierce through his head...
- I don't care.

Bakers, your time is up.

Thank you so much for your help.

Step away from your cake busts.

It wasn't quite what I had planned.
But you know, what is?

[Laura] I'm going home.

- [Sura] No, you're not.
- [Laura] I am.

- That was hard.
- [chuckles] Tell me about it.

- [Laura] Oh, God, yours is about to fall.
- [Rowan] No!

[Sura] I never run.

[indistinct chatter]

Sura, get something flat.
It's not in balance. It'll fall again.

[Linda] That's it. Something heavy.

Stand it up the back.

That's it.

I had to put, like, a...
The piping bags behind him.

So, it looks like a travel cushion.

[Matt] It's okay. They said
you can use inedible supports.

[laughs]

[Noel] It's judgement time
for the 12 cake busts.

Rowan, would you like
to bring up your showstopper?

The choux buns were a bit
of a disaster, so I had to improvise.

[Paul] There's a pattern here.

'Cause you promised us almost
a Parthenon yesterday, we didn't get.

- Promised us choux buns, we haven't got.
- No.

Say less and then do more.

- Yes.
- [Paul] Having said that,

you instantly recognise who it is.

I think it's absolutely brilliant.

- [Rowan] Thank you.
- I hope she tastes nice.

Well, so do I.

- Gonna go through her cheek.
- Yeah.

No.

Oh, you brute.

[chuckles]

[Rowan] It's a chocolate cake
with kirsch-soaked cherries.

Mmm! Cherry flavour's lovely.

Would've been nice to have the choux buns,
but overall I think you made a tasty cake.

- Thank you.
- [Prue] Well done, Rowan.

[Prue] Well, I have to say,
he is recognisable.

- Definitely.
- Thank you.

That sort of slightly
anxious look is very Louis Theroux.

It is a coconut and lime sponge
with a chocolate orange buttercream.

[Paul] You get all the flavours,
the orange, lime, coconut.

But it's over-baked, bone dry.

[Prue] It's obviously Bill Bryson.

It's good. I love the detail on it.

- Thank you.
- [Prue] And what's inside it?

It's a lemon Madeira with red currant jam.

- Lovely flavour, but it's very dry.
- [Paul] And that's a real shame.

I'd like to have seen a mouth on it.

'Cause Marley was known for his voice
and he hasn't got a mouth.

- [all laugh]
- I know.

- I think it's delicious.
- [Prue] It is.

[Paul] It's got all elements
of a good sponge.

You can't go wrong
with citrus flavours and a lemon curd.

It's very dramatic.
He's got wonderful athlete's shoulders.

He really looks as if he's puffing.
And I love the helmet.

[Paul] It's clever, and a good get out,

because, wearing a helmet
and a mask, you know who it is.

I mean, Sir Chris has got
many, many Olympic medals.

That's what he wore when he did it.

- It's excellent.
- Let me just...

Sorry, Chris.

[Prue] I was worried about this.
I thought Victoria sandwich

and fresh cream is all
quite light and easily squashed,

and you'd end up with a pudding inside.

But you haven't. It looks lovely.

The Italian meringue
buttercream is delicious.

The strawberries,
the cream, the sponge is spot on.

It feels really fresh. Light.

It's delicious. The concept is great.

And it's witty.

- [Prue and Paul] Well done, Peter.
- Thank you so much.

[Prue] I think it's like a caricature.
So it's really good.

- [Dave] Thank you.
- [Prue] Would you tell us what's inside?

Mint and strawberry
with a cocoa buttercream.

Bit toothpaste-y.

The mint is so strong.

And it has that very chemical taste.

[Paul] It's a shame.

Let yourself down
on the texture and flavour.

Yeah, okay.

Erm, that's about as far away
from David Bowie as you could get.

- I'd agree with you.
- [Prue] Yes, he's lost his neck.

Yeah, more Jabba the Hutt.

[judges laugh]

[Marc] It's a chocolate sponge
with vanilla buttercream.

[Prue] It's quite dense.

[Paul] Slightly over-baked.

Okay.

- But it's a great flavour. Good effort.
- Thank you.

The fact that you put "Guess who?" on this

must mean
you don't think it looks like her.

- That's right.
- [Prue chuckles]

Your work with the fondant
is absolutely exquisite.

[Paul] I thought it was real.

[Prue] So let's hope
it's as good inside as it is outside.

I hope so.

It's really lovely.

It's such a rich chocolate cake.
It's delicious.

I'll sit down
and have a slice of that anytime.

[Paul] You can see who it is.

- [Prue] It looks great.
- [Mark] Thank you.

It is a ginger spice sponge
with a coconut buttercream.

Lovely, very good flavour.

[Paul] It's nice to see
you haven't overdone it with spices.

You've got spices you can identify.

But it marries beautifully
with the ginger.

It's a well-baked cake.

- [Prue] Well done.
- Thank you.

We've got a picture
of her in front of us now.

Head scarf, tick.

[Prue and Paul] Necklace, tick.

- Resemblance to her, doesn't exist.
- Resemblance, not so much.

[Paul chuckles]

Erm, it has got a chilli chocolate sponge
flavoured with Scotch bonnet chilli powder

and ginger and mango jam.

Chilli's a bit overwhelming.

[Prue] I agree
that you could lower chilli a little.

- Wow.
- [Matt chuckles]

It's coming in waves.

But when you've got
a wave of ginger as well,

it's really, really strong.

Now, this is lining up
with what happened yesterday, as well.

Consistency is the word.

You are consistent. Absolutely.

He's reclining.

He's having a nap.

[Matt chuckles]

[Paul] Very neat on the shirt,
very neat on the face.

Well, you can see who it is.
Let's have a look, shall we?

Gosh, that looks really tender.

[Sura] It is a coconut sponge

with a raspberry
Italian meringue buttercream.

[Prue] I like the flavour.

[Paul] It's not dry, which is good.
It's nice and moist.

Overall, you've done
something that looks like him.

It's quite smart, it's neat.
You've done a good job.

Thank you.

[chuckles] Sorry.

[chuckles] You're not supposed to laugh.

It was all going really well.
His jacket looked great and everything.

And then the head exploded.

I think, erm, but, I'm hoping
that the flavours will redeem.

- [Paul] What are they?
- [Laura] Lemon and elderflower.

I do think his jacket is lovely.

- [Laura] Thank you.
- [Paul] Yeah.

Mmm, that is delicious.

Thank you!

I think one of the reasons it squashed
so easily is it is very moist.

- [Paul] Hmm.
- [Laura] Do you like it?

- [Paul] Erm...
- Oh, go on, say you like it.

- Actually, I love it, yeah.
- Yes!

[Paul] The flavour's good.
The elderflower's there.

It looks the way it does,
but it tastes really nice.

And you can identify who it is.

Thank you.

- [Matt and Noel] Well done.
- What a relief.

Come on, Fred.

- Let's go.
- [all laugh]

- Well done.
- Thank you.

My biggest fear today
was that they'd say the cake was bland.

'Cause then I knew I was going home.
I think I've hopefully pulled it back.

[Loriea] I baked it how I like it,

so it's too late
to cross fingers and toes now.

Kind of thought before that
came together today that that was it.

But, if it is, I'm going out on a high.

Nobody wants to be the first.

Coming on this show, I said
that I don't want to be the first.

But maybe that was my challenge,
to accept being the first to go.

[Noel] Paul and Prue
have made their decision.

Well, congratulations, bakers.

I have the rather pleasant job
of announcing this week's Star Baker.

And this week's star baker is...

Peter!

[all applaud]

Go, Peter.

Which means I've got the horrible job
of announcing which baker is leaving us.

And the baker who's going home is...

Loriea. I'm sorry.

[all] Aww.

- Oh, darling, I'm so sorry.
- [Loriea] It's fine.

- [Linda] Bless you.
- [Loriea] Thank you.

It might have been nice
to stay a bit longer,

but someone has to go, so...

- You did amazing, remember that.
- Thank you.

Yes, I am proud.
I did quite well to get here.

And I stayed true to myself.

- [Paul] I'm so sorry.
- [Loriea] It's fine.

It was really sad, 'cause
I could see a lot of talent in Loriea.

And what was...
As a judge, I can't get involved.

'Cause I wanted to tell her,
"Stop doing that".

And it came down
to over-baking and over-flavouring.

[Marc] Can't believe
I'm through to next week.

I was sat on that chair,
ready to stand up.

Ah! [laughs]

Oh, my gosh.

Aw, fantastic. I can't believe it,
I was like... [screams]

- Thank you.
- [Rowan] Well deserved.

I said I was putting
my money on you. [chuckles]

- [Peter] Hey.
- [woman] Hi, Peter.

Just wanted to give you a quick call.

Erm, so, week one
went pretty well. I got Star Baker.

- [woman cheering over phone]
- [chuckles]

[woman] Hurray! Well done!

Thank you, it was, erm, pretty insane.

[chuckles]

[closing theme music playing]